Tony -

I don't have 1st hand experience with fusion (yet) but have t-spine problems. My aunt had 5 vertebrae's fused in her t-spine. It was an extremely long recovery. For any major surgery, it takes a good year to 1.5 years to fully recover and possibly longer. Spine fusion, especially the t-spine is very major surgery. I've had my 1st rib removed for nerve compression issues and it easily took ~ 1 to 1.5 years before things really settled down.

When you see the doctor(s) and/or the physical therapist next time, mention the pain to touch. It can be from the surgery and will recover in time or it can be a sign of something else. They should be aware of the situation.

Have they put you on Lyrica to help with the nerve pain? I had throat/neck surgery in September and they put me on Lyrica after surgery to decrease the chance of developing nerve problems from the surgery.